


Twin Byleths and the Golden Lions

by infinitenicknames



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: (I'll add tags as they come up), Gen, My Unit | Byleth Has Emotions, My Unit | Byleth Twins, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:29:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24774667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infinitenicknames/pseuds/infinitenicknames
Summary: After getting roped into being a professor at the Officer's Academy, Byleth begins to realize that things aren't what they seem to be. A girl in his dreams seems to be a twin Byleth didn't even know he had, mysteries of his father's secrets not lining up with the facts at hand, and unreliable information from the church pushes Byleth to start searching for the truth.(Three Houses AU that's a mix of a bunch of ideas that I had. Expect random updates.)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	1. Prologue: An Inevitable Encounter

Clashing blades. Spilling blood. Crushing bone. Death cries. These had all become normal sights and sounds for Byleth's dreams. The stench of blood and death clung to the air, overwhelming any other smells that might be there, yet he barely noticed that. Byleth weaved his way through the fighting warriors, looking for someone in the crowds. A nearby explosion let Byleth know he was heading in the right direction. Byleth got there just in time to see a soldier jump in front of an attack meant for Lady Seiros. Seiros didn't even blink as the man threw his life away to save her. She simply stepped over his body as she went to confront the person who had attempted to attack her.

"Screw you too." Byleth muttered, walking over to the soldier. He knelt down and put a hand on the soldier's arm. Byleth felt nothing in his hand as he wiped the blood off of the man’s arm. Byleth knew that he couldn't interact with these people, but it was still unnerving to not be able to feel what he was touching. All Byleth could do was observe. Still, he wished he could do something for this soldier. For any of the soldiers that lay dying on the ground. The fear and regret in their eyes as they passed away twisted Byleth's stomach into knots. "Least you could do is show him some respect for his sacrifice." Byleth grumbled as he glared at Seiros, who was now facing off against Nemesis. They traded blows until Seiros was able to disarm and pin Nemesis to the ground.

"Tell me, Nemesis, do you recall the Red Canyon?" Seiros hissed as she raised a dagger. She began violently and repeatedly stabbing him. "You'll die for that! Die, die! You took... everything... that I _loved_!"

Byleth wasn't paying any attention to her anymore. He had seen that scene so many times throughout his life that it was more like background noise than anything else. Byleth looked out over the battlefield again. People had stopped fighting and Seiros's soldiers had started cheering. Despite the amount of people who died or laid bleeding out on the ground, people seemed happy. Byleth couldn't understand that. He had seen far too many people die while he had been working as a mercenary. He knew the pain of losing those around you. How could these people be happy after losing their friends? Their allies? Their _family_?

"He's gone now, Mother..." Seiros cradled Nemesis's weapon in her arms, smearing blood on her cheek. Byleth knew that meant that his dream was coming to an end. He sighed and stood up as the scenery around him faded into darkness. He rubbed his face, expecting to wake up in bed, but that didn't come. The darkness persisted. Byleth looked around, but couldn’t make anything out in the pitch blackness that surrounded him.

After a minute, a young girl's voice echoed through the darkness. "He's not here. I don't think it worked."

"It _has_ to!" Another girl complained. "And if it didn't, we have to keep trying. I _can't_ stay here anymore!"

"Alright, alright. Calm down. We'll try something else." The first girl comforted. The second girl sighed, but didn’t say anything else.

Byleth's eyes adjusted to the darkness and he recognized where he was. It was the other reoccurring dream he often had, where two girls slept on a stone throne together. He had tried to wake them countless times before, but he could never get them to open their eyes. And yet, there they were! Standing at the top of the stairs in front of Byleth. The younger girl had long green hair, pointed ears, and flowing garments. The older one had shoulder length teal hair with light green streaks running through her hair, a somewhat rounded face, and a plain uniform looking outfit on.

"There has to be something I can do." The green haired girl continued. "Just give me more time and I-" the green haired girl stopped when she noticed Byleth at the bottom of the steps. She leaned forward and squinted, almost as though she didn’t believe her own eyes. "Is that him?"

The older girl looked down at Byleth. Her expression didn’t change but her eyes lit up like a bonfire, blazing with excitement. She awkwardly raised her hand and stiffly waved down at Byleth. "Hey! Hey you down there. Can you come up here?"

"Uh, sure?" Byleth walked up the stairs two steps at a time. He was out of breath by the time he got to the top, but he tried to hide that from the girls. Byleth glanced between the two girls before he realized that the younger girl was... Floating in the air? That can't be right… but her feet were definitely not on the ground. Byleth then noticed the tall stone throne behind the girls. It seemed almost unnatural to see it empty now.

"Who are you?" The older girl asked. Byleth apparently didn't respond fast enough for her liking, so she crossed her arms. "Come on. You have a name, right?"

"I do." Byleth replied without delay. "My name is Byleth." The girls glanced at each other. The teal haired girl seemed happy with Byleth’s answer, while the green haired girl still seemed uncertain.

"It is him! He did come!" The older girl said, still barely showing any emotion on her face.

"Don't get ahead of yourself." The younger girl held up a hand. "Just because he shares the same name doesn't mean he's the right one. Under what moon and on what day were you born, Byleth?"

"Uh, Horsemoon day 20?" Byleth answered, shifting in his spot. He’d reach for his weapon right about now, but he had no sword to draw. He was defenseless to the girl’s onslaught of questions and demands.

The girls shared a knowing glance with each other. The younger girl breathed deeply, attempting to compose herself. "So he does share our day of birth. Wonders never ceases, I suppose."

"I told you so." The older girl poked the other girl in the side. "Y'know, you gotta trust me sometimes."

"Oh hush."

"Is something going on?" Byleth asked. "Why are you asking me these things? And where are we?"

"Guess I can’t blame you for being confused. There's a lot to catch you up on." The older girl bowed her head. "I don't even know where to start. Well, maybe we should start with-"

"There's no time for the whole story!" The younger girl interrupted. "For now, I will give you my name. I am Sothis. To some I am also known as 'The Beginning'. This here is my friend." Sothis gestured to the girl next to her.

"Hi." She waved awkwardly. "Guess... we don't have time for the whole story, but to put it simply I don't really have a name. Not yet anyways."

"You don't have a name?" Byleth’s jaw dropped. The girl seemed to be around his age. How did she not have a name?

"It's a long story." She frowned and looked away. "All I really know is-" Everything suddenly jolted to the side, causing the three of them to stumble in place.

"Looks like our time here is coming to an end. It is time for you to awake, Byleth." Sothis furrowed her eyebrows. "There's much to tell you, but I suppose it'll have to wait for another time. Just know that we will be speaking again soon. Though it will most likely be on your side. Now go." Sothis waved her arm in front of her, and everything vanished around Byleth. He fell rapidly into the thick darkness. Byleth reached out, desperate to grab something, anything, but his hands only found empty air.

"Hey kid. Time to wake up." Jeralt said, pulling Byleth from the endless abyss he fell through.

Byleth jolted up in bed. He glanced around and grabbed the dagger at his waist. As he looked around, Byleth remembered where he was. The inn at Remire Village. The closest thing Byleth had to an actual home. Byleth’s eyes met Jeralt’s, which were wide with shock. Byleth let go of his dagger and leaned back on his bed. He forced himself to breath, trying to force the anxiety out of his mind.

"Are you alright?" Jeralt asked. "Did you have one of those dreams again?"

"Y-yeah. But it was…” Byleth ran his hand through his hair as his breathing steadied. “I had both of them, back to back, but they... they were different this time." Byleth stammered as he got up.

"Different? How so?"

Byleth went quiet as he tried to figure out how to describe what he had just seen. "Well, the war part was mostly unchanged, but when the guy died I... didn't wake up. Instead I ended up in that stone throne room again. Like with my other dream. The girls I saw in there... They were awake. They started asking me things like they were trying to figure out if I was the person they were looking for."

Jeralt’s eyes narrowed as Byleth scrambled to explain his dream. "Well I've never seen or heard of a stone throne like that before." Jeralt said as he put a hand on Byleth's shoulder. "Try to put it out of your mind for now. Idle thoughts will just get you killed on the battlefield."

"I know, but..." Byleth's voice trailed off as he realized he couldn't really explain what he had seen. He rubbed his face out of frustration. "Maybe I just need more sleep."

"I'd love to let you rest, but we have to get going. Our next job is in the Kingdom. I told you before. It's far from here, so we'll need to leave at dawn." Jeralt said, equipping the last of his gear.

"Of course." Byleth grabbed his sword. Questions swirled around in his head. Byleth tried to push them to the side, but more questions would fill his head. "Uh, do we need to pick up anything before we leave?"

"The others already got everything else. All we have to do is meet up with them." Jeralt looked out the window as Byleth got the rest of his stuff together. "Hm? Good grief. Everyone is already waiting for us outside."

Someone knocked on the door before they entered. It was one of Jeralt's mercenaries, though Byleth couldn't recall his name at the moment. He looked rushed and worried as he enter the room. "Jeralt! Sir! Sorry to barge in, but your presence is needed."

"What's happened?" Jeralt asked as he followed the mercenary out.

Byleth grabbed the last of his things before he followed his father. As he left the room, he thought he saw Sothis out of the corner of his eye. He turned around, scanning the whole room, but no one was there. Byleth shook his head and rubbed his forehead. "What is wrong with me today?"

Byleth rushed after his father. Outside there were three people around Byleth's age, all wearing similar uniforms with different colored capes. One was a girl with long white hair, violet eyes, a red cape, and an axe. Another was a boy with blonde hair, blue eyes, a blue cape, and a lance. And the last one was a boy with dark hair, green eyes, a yellow cape, and a bow. Even though they looked young, Byleth could tell they all had at least some combat experience with their weapons of choice.

"Please forgive our intrusion." The blonde man bowed. "We wouldn't bother you were the situation not dire."

"What do a bunch of kids like you want at this hour?" Jeralt asked as Byleth joined them.

"We're being pursued by a group of bandits. I can only hope that you will be so kind as to lend your support." The blonde man explained.

Jeralt's eyes widened in surprise. "Bandits? Here?" Byleth instinctively glanced towards the town gate. He didn't spot anyone else, but he couldn't deny the possibility that there might be someone out of his view. Byleth instinctively grabbed his sword.

"It's true." The white haired girl continued, bringing Byleth's attention back to the group. "They attacked us while we were at rest in our camp."

"We've been separated from our companions and we're outnumbered. They're after our lives... not to mention our gold." The dark haired boy continued as he held his head.

"I'm impressed you're staying so calm considering the situation. I..." Jeralt stopped mid sentence. He looked closer at the three in the low light. "Wait. That uniform..."

One of Jeralt's mercenaries raced up to Jeralt interrupting them. "Bandits spotted just outside the village. Damn... There are a lot of them."

Jeralt shook his head in frustration. "I guess they followed you all the way here. We can't abandon this village now. Come on, let's move. Hope you're ready."

Byleth nodded and unsheathed his sword as he went towards the town gate. The three outsiders followed Byleth closely. Byleth felt uncomfortable about how close they were, but he brushed it off. Byleth assumed they were just scared and wanted his protection. People always seemed to do that any time danger showed up.

Byleth stopped at the village gate and scanned the surrounding forest. He tallied up the incoming enemies he saw, sizing each of them up. "I count seven hostiles on this side." Byleth told Jeralt as he joined them on horseback. "They don't seem too tough, but we should still be careful."

"Right." Jeralt nodded as he adjusted his grip in his lance. "Let's take care of those thieves before they overrun the village. Take down the enemies in front first. That should take the wind out of their sails." Byleth and the other three nodded.

One of the bandits rushed towards them. Byleth went to meet him, slashing the man in the side with his sword. The bandit tried to counter attack Byleth, but his attack was cut short by the blonde man rushing in and finishing the bandit off. Byleth was shocked to see the blonde's strength. It almost seemed inhumanly possible for anyone to be that strong.

The two others raced ahead as the blonde turned to Byleth. "Thank you. We are in your debt. It wouldn't do for us to fall in a place like this. Please, lend us your strength. Let's work together to drive out these thieves!"

"Of course. I'll be relying on you in this fight too." Byleth said. He then raced ahead to catch up with the other two. "Get in between the trees. It'll limit their advance." Byleth ordered as he passed the youths. They obliged and took shelter in the neighboring forest as the bandits approached.

The girl took shelter near Byleth as they waited for the bandits to get closer. "You have a strange aura about you..." she commented.

"Uh, thanks?"

"You say you're a mercenary, so show me what you can do."

Instead of responding, Byleth attacked an approaching bandit. He slashed the bandit across the chest then stabbed him in the heart, killing him instantly. Byleth shot a glance back at the girl, who looked surprised yet impressed. Byleth then turned his attention to the next bandit who was approaching the dark haired archer. The boy shot the bandit in the leg with an arrow, but it wasn't enough to stop the man's advance. The bandit attempted to stab the archer, but the young man managed to dodge out of the way just in time. Byleth rushed in and slashed the bandit on the back. While the thief was distracted, the dark haired boy backed away enough to fire an arrow at the bandit. The arrow stuck into the thief's neck, leaving him to fall to the ground dead.

"Looks like you saved me again." The boy smiled.

"You saved yourself there. That was an amazing shot." Byleth complimented, looking over the bandit. That was a risky shot, but the archer had done it like it was nothing.

The young man chuckled, looking around to make sure they weren't being approached. "It's because of you guys that I'm not dead right now. Thanks for that! I didn't expect to run into mercenaries like you in some remote village. The gods of fortune must be smiling on me!"

"They must be smiling on the both of us if I got to meet you guys." Byleth said as he watched the white haired girl defeat a bandit some ways away. "Who are you guys anyways?"

"We'll do introductions after the battle." The archer fired at the last bandit that was within attacking range. "For now, let's clean up the rest of this mess."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Byleth said before rushing deeper into the forest. He realized that he hadn't seen his father in some time now. Of course, Byleth knew Jeralt would be capable of handling some bandits like this, but he didn't want to leave anything up to chance. Byleth followed the faint sounds of fighting until he found Jeralt facing off against the leader of the bandits.

"What the!?" The bandit leader gasped as Jeralt struck down one of the remaining bandits. "Aren't you Jeralt the Blade Breaker? What's a renowned mercenary like you doing here?"

"I'm the one who should be complaining. I'm caught up in the mess you started!" Jeralt retorted as he charged at the bandit. The bandit dodged the attack, but Byleth took that opportunity to strike at the bandit. With both Byleth and Jeralt working in sync, the bandit was quickly struck down. They stood over the bandit's body for a second, making sure he was down. "We're done here." Jeralt said as he rode away.

Byleth hesitated. Images of the soldier who had sacrificed himself for Seiros ran through Byleth's mind. He shook his head and began to follow his father back to the village. As Byleth left, he heard the bandit get up again. Byleth spun around and pointed his weapon at the bandit. The bandit ignored Byleth and dove for the girl, who was no longer holding her axe. The girl reached for her dagger, though Byleth knew I wouldn't be enough to stop that bandit. Without thinking, Byleth pushed her out of the way and braced himself for the bandit's weapon to tear into his body.

"You'll die!" The bandit screeched as he brought his weapon down on Byleth. Byleth flinched, but the weapon never made contact. Byleth glanced up, and saw that the axe had froze only an inch away from him. The scene around him shattered and Byleth found himself in a black void.

"Honestly! What are you accomplishing with that little stunt?! It's like you're trying to get us killed, you fool!" Sothis scolded. Byleth spun around to see Sothis sitting alone on the throne.

"Sothis? What are you talking about?" Byleth asked. He looked around, but the other girl wasn't there. Nothing else was there.

Sothis closed her eyes for a moment. She sighed before continuing on. "Well, it's fine. After all, if you don't know the value of your own life, you're not going to protect it very well, are you? Course not." Sothis stood up from where she sat. "Well then, I guess it's up to me to guide you from now on, right?"

"What are you getting at?" Byleth frowned.

"That look upon your face..." Sothis leaned forward. "Do you think me a child? A mere child?!"

"Well that's what you are, aren't you?" Byleth said, looking around in the darkness that surrounded them. No matter where Byleth looked there was nothing. No one else was there. Not Jeralt, not the mercenaries, not even that white haired girl Byleth had tried to save. What was this place?

"Phooey!" Sothis exclaimed. "That "child" just saved your life! And what does that make you?"

Byleth wanted to retort with "I am no child," but he did just throw away his life for a girl he had barely met. He realized he was no different from the soldier in his dream. Byleth sighed. "I'm less than a child?"

Sothis smiled. "Correct! You understand. You threw yourself before an axe to save just one young girl. Yet all is well, as I have stalled the flow of time for now. You would have died had I not intervened."

Byleth bit his lip. "Thank you." Byleth whispered as he bowed a bit. "But why did you do that?"

"You are far too important to die here." Sothis leaned forward. There was a weight to her words that Byleth couldn't understand. Why would a single mercenary be important to her? Sothis leaned to the side and held her head. "Though it is only momentary, time has stopped. If time were to begin again, the axe will tear into your flesh, and you will surely meet your end." 

"What?!" Byleth cried out. Thoughts of his father being all alone raced through Byleth's head. Would Jeralt even be able to move on like that? After losing his wife and son? Byleth wasn't sure. Jeralt wouldn't really have much left in the world at that point. "Is... isn't there anything we can do? Is there anything _you_ can do?"

"Of course there is. There is no need to fear, little one. All I have to do is turn back the hands of time." Sothis began tracing some invisible shape through the air with her fingers. Her movements were sharp and exact but Byleth couldn't figure out what she was doing. "You really are quite troublesome though. Needing my help so soon after we've been connected. Don't let it become a habit." A magical circle appeared in front of her after she finished drawing in the air.In the center was a symbol Byleth didn't recognize. "I cannot wind back time too far, but all is well. You are aware of what's to come, which means you can protect yourself this time." 

"Without getting myself killed in the process in the most pathetic way possible." Byleth halfheartedly joked.

Sothis cracked a bit of a smile at that. "Exactly. Now, go... Yes, you who bears the flames within. Drift through the flow of time to find the answers that you seek..."

Byleth wanted to ask her what she meant by that but there wasn't enough time to ask. The world around Byleth faded away again. Time reversed back to before the bandit got up again. Without hesitating, Byleth raced over to defend the girl as the bandit got up. "You'll die!" The bandit screeched as he lashed out at Byleth. Byleth blocked the blow with ease. He then counter attacked the bandit, sending him flying backwards. The bandit quickly scrambled to his feet and raced away, leaving his weapon behind. The girl slowly put her dagger away, but Byleth stayed on guard to make sure that bandit didn't return.

The archer called out to them as he and the other boy joined Byleth. "Hey—over here!" All three of them looked relieved that the battle was over. After a few more seconds, Byleth began to relax a bit too. 

Jeralt raced back over. An astonished look was plastered all over his face. "Hey... Did you just..."

Jeralt was cut off by a group of Knights racing over to them. Their leader stepped forward and raised his axe. "The Knights of Seiros are here! We'll cut you down for terrorizing our students!" He noticed the bandits were running away and lowered his weapon. "Hey! The thieves are running away. Go after them." His men nodded and raced off after the bandits. The man turned his attention back to the group. Byleth tightened his grip on his sword, uncertain on if these new people were allies or enemies. "The students seem to be unharmed. And... who's this?"

Jeralt groaned as the man approached. "Ugh... Why him?" Jeralt dismounted and put his lance away as the man got close. Seeing his father unarmed, Byleth reluctantly put his sword away. He came to his father’s side, but stayed a couple paces away from the unknown man.

The man smiled and came right up to Jeralt. "Captain Jeralt?! It is you! Goodness, it's been ages." Jeralt glanced over to Byleth. Byleth knew that meant that they had to go. The man didn't seem to notice and continued on. "Don't you recognize me? It's Alois! Your old right-hand man! Well, that's how I always thought of myself anyway. It must have been 20 years ago that you went missing without a trace! I always knew you were still alive!"

"You haven't changed a bit, Alois. Just as loud as ever." Jeralt said, holding his head. "And drop that "captain" nonsense. I'm not your captain anymore. These days I'm just a wandering mercenary. One who has work to do. Good-bye, old friend." Byleth took that hint and started backing away towards the village again. 

"Right... Good-bye, Captain." Alois absentmindedly said. He quickly realized what Jeralt was doing though and cut him off. "Wait! That isn't how this ends! I insist that you return to the monastery with me!"

"Garreg Mach Monastery... I suppose this was inevitable." Jeralt sighed. Jeralt had always insisted that Byleth stayed away from Garreg Mach and the Church of Serios in general. Just the idea of going to such a place sent shivers down Byleth's spine. 

Alois then turned to Byleth. "And how about you, kid? Are you the captain's child?"

"Who, me?" Byleth mischievously smiled and shrugged. "Why, I'm just another bandit here to break the law."

Alois laughed at that. Byleth even caught Jeralt smiling a bit out of the corner of his eye. "Great sense of humor, this one. Clearly cut from the same cloth as the captain." Jeralt chuckled. "I'd love for you to see the monastery too. You will join me, won't you?"

Byleth held his breath for a second, unsure of how to respond. "If father's going, then I will too." Byleth nodded. Jeralt sighed and Byleth realized that Jeralt didn't want to go to Garreg Mach. Now that Byleth had said that however, they were now expected to go. So long for their mission in the Kingdom.

"What's troubling you, Captain? You aren't about to run off again, are you?" Alois asked as he and Jeralt walked off.

"Even I wouldn't dare run from the Knights of Seiros." Jeralt said, shooting one last glance at Byleth. He looked concerned, almost scared, but Byleth couldn't figure out why. Byleth knew Jeralt had some secrets, but Byleth knew Jeralt hid those things for good reasons. Despite that, Byleth couldn't rid himself of the lingering dread he now felt.

"The Knights of Seiros... They do seem rather skilled." Byleth looked around to see who had said that. The voice had sounded like Sothis, but he didn't see her anywhere. The only people who were around him were the three youths who stood just a little ways away talking with each other in hushed voices. "Ah. It seems your presence is required. Get going." Byleth glanced over his shoulder one last time before he went towards the other three.

"Great to see you could finally join us." The dark haired boy waved at Byleth. "I'd say now's as good a time as any for introductions. My name is Claude von Riegan. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Right, I suppose we didn't get the chance to introduce ourselves before the battle. My name is Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd." Dimitri bowed to Byleth.

"And I am Edelgard von Hresvelg." Edelgard introduced.

Byleth recognized their names, but couldn't remember where he had heard them before. He brushed it off, assuming it was nothing. "It's nice to meet all of you. My name is Byleth Eisner." Byleth said.

"I appreciate your help back there. Your skill is beyond question. You're clearly an experienced mercenary." Edelgard complimented. "And your father, that would be Jeralt, the Blade Breaker? Former captain of the Knight's of Seiros. Oft praised as one of the strongest knights to ever live. Have I missed anything?"

"To be honest, I didn't know he was a knight before any of this." Byleth admitted. He carelessly shrugged and smiled. "The more you know, right?"

Edelgard's eyes lit up when Byleth said that. "How curious. I'd wager the explanation for that is fascinating indeed."

"So you'll be coming with us to the monastery, right?" Claude asked.

"That's the plan right now." Byleth said. "We were initially going to do a job up in Kingdom territory, but it looks like the Knights want something of us."

"I'm glad to hear that you’ll be joining us. I'd love to bend your ear as we travel." Claude said with a smile. Byleth could tell that he was doing this to get on his good side, but Byleth didn't care all that much. Unfortunately, Byleth had grown accustomed to it over the years. People had tried to get Jeralt to join them by whatever means necessary. Many people had tried to befriend Byleth for that very reason. Byleth crossed his arms as Claude continued on. "Oh, I should mention that the three of us are students of the Officers Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery. We were doing some training exercises when those bandits attacked. I definitely got the worst of it."

"That would be because you ran off." Edelgard glared at Claude, not bothering to hide her anger.

"Too true! I was the first to make a strategic retreat." Claude winked at Edelgard playfully. "Everything would have worked out if these two hadn't followed me and ruined everything. Because of them, every single one of those bandits chased after us. Utterly ridiculous."

"Ah, so that's what you were thinking, Claude." Dimitri said. "And here I thought you were acting as a decoy for the sake of us all."

"His intentions were as clear as day." Edelgard stated, her words sharp like a blade. "You will prove a lacking ruler if you cannot see the truth behind a person's words." Byleth blinked in confusion when Edelgard mentioned being a ruler. He tried to reason that they were nobility or something, but something didn’t sit right with that thought.

Dimitri frowned as he turned to face Edelgard. "Hm. You will prove a lacking ruler if you look for deceit behind every word and fail to trust on those whom you rely on."

Byleth nervously glanced over at Claude as the tensions between the other two rose. Claude only rolled his eyes. "Oh, joy. A royal debate between Their Highnesses. I wonder how being completely predictable affects one's ability to wield power."

When Claude said that, Byleth instantly remembered where he knew their names from. Edelgard was the imperial princess from the Adrestian Empire, Dimitri was the crown prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and Claude was the heir to the leader of the Leicester Alliance. Byleth realized just how out of place he was in this conversation. A commoner completely surrounded by royalty. Byleth stepped back a bit, but decided it would be dumb for him to just flee the conversation now.

None of them noticed that Byleth was uncomfortable, so Claude simply continued on. "Personally, as the embodiment of distrust, I'd say your little exchange smacks of naiveté."

"Me? Naïve?" Edelgard frowned. "Tell me, are you actually incapable of keeping quiet, or is your lack of self-awareness a condition of some sort?"

"Shouldn't we tone this down a bit?" Byleth interrupted. The others realized how uncomfortable they had made Byleth and quickly dropped the conversation.

"Forgive our digression." Dimitri apologized, bowing his head. "I must speak with you, if you can spare a moment. The way you held your ground against the bandit's leader was captivating! You never lost control of the situation. It showed me I still have much to learn."

"Your skill is precisely why I must ask you to consider lending your services to the Empire." Edelgard cut in. "I might as well tell you now. I am no mere student. I am also the Adrestian Empire's—"

"Halt, Edelgard." Dimitri frowned. "Please allow me to finish my own proposition. The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus is in dire need of exceptional individuals such as yourself. Please, do consider returning to the Kingdom with me."

"Whoa, there! You two sure are hasty." Claude said. "Trying to recruit someone you just met. I was personally planning to develop a deep and lasting friendship on our journey back to the monastery before begging for favors. But it seems there's no time for niceties in this world. So, capable stranger, let's get right to it. Where does your allegiance lie?”

Byleth struggled to keep the shock off of his face. He was so used to people going on and on about his father. The _fabled_ Blade Breaker and his elite mercenaries. This was the first time people had argued over him. Byleth cleared his throat and tried to compose himself. He contemplated lying to get on their good sides, but thought it would be better just to tell them the truth. "Well, I hate to disappoint, but I don't really have allegiance to the Empire, Kingdom, _or_ the Alliance."

Their eyes widened and they glanced between each other for a second. "Wait, really?" Claude asked. "You don't feel particularly... connected to _any_ of them?"

"You did grow up in Fodlan, didn't you?" Edelgard said, trying to rationalize what Byleth had just said.

"I did, but that kind of stuff isn't really a luxury that you get as a mercenary." Byleth shrugged. "We always had to go where the jobs went. Never really got the chance to slow down enough to learn about the places we went."

"I suppose that does make some sense." Dimitri held his chin. "You probably spent a lot of time all across Fodlan. I can see why you can't pick one over the others." Claude nodded in agreement, while Edelgard still seemed a little hesitant to accept Byleth's answer.

"All right," Alois called from the village gate, "that's enough with the small talk. It's time to head back to the monastery."

"Looks like we'll have to pick this up another time." Claude said as he and the others left. "See you around Byleth." Byleth waved to them, but didn't say anything else. He wondered if telling them the truth about there really was the best idea. Then again, it wasn’t like he could go back in time to change that decision. Unless...

"My my. They are in such a hurry."

"Sothis? Is that you?" Byleth said in a hushed tone as he looked around. "Where are you?"

"Oh come now. You can't be startled every time I talk to you now." Sothis said, appearing out of thin air in front of him. "You and I are connected now. I'm able to speak to you whenever I need to."

"Connected? What do you mean? Can the others hear you?"

"Unfortunately no. It seems I can only be seen and communicate with you and our other friend. No one else seems to have the ability to see or hear me." Sothis kicked the air in front of her lazily. She turned back to face the students as they disappeared behind the village gate. "You know... Each of those three is most unique."

Byleth was annoyed that Sothis didn't answer his other question, but decided to drop the topic for now. He was already exhausted from battle. He didn’t need to be fighting a floating child that only he could see. "You could say that again." Byleth shook his head. "Edelgard seems like a refined young woman... But I feel as though she is always evaluating me... Dimitri seems quite sincere... But I sense darkness lurking beneath. And Claude... His easy smile is striking... But that smile doesn't reach his eyes..."

"Yes, I thought the same. I—" Sothis was interrupted by a giant yawn. "Oh dear."

"Didn't sleep well?" Byleth teased, starting to make his way towards the gate.

"I fear using my powers earlier has exhausted me more than I expected." Sothis rubbed her face. She did look absolutely exhausted. Byleth could only imagine how much energy it’d take to revert time. Then again, how _did_ Sothis do that anyway?

"If you're tired you should go rest." Byleth said. "I need to be catching up with the others anyways."

"But there... Is still so much to... Tell you..." Sothis mumbled. Even though she tried to fight it, it was obvious she was falling asleep. She dozed off and began to fade away in front of Byleth. Once she had vanished Byleth couldn't hear her tired mumbling anymore. 

"What on Earth is even going on any more?" Byleth shook his head. First the girls in his dreams started talking to him, then he had to save royalty from some bandits, then Byleth went back in time to save one of said royals, and now Byleth was going to a place he was forbidden to ever go. "What's next? The war in my dream is going to come true?" Byleth had meant that as a joke, but his heart sank when he said that. Fodlan didn’t need anymore bloodshed. Not now.

"Hey kid!" Jeralt called. "Let's get going!"

"Coming!" Byleth replied as he sprinted through the trees. There was no need for Byleth to be worrying over that right now. He had enough on his plate. For now, he should celebrate the fact that Remire Village was safe and that no one had died during that fight. That... That was enough for Byleth.

... Right?


	2. Chapter 1: Three Houses (part 1)

**_Great Tree Moon_ **

_ The icy winds of the Oghma Mountains have begun to scatter, and the verdant fields once again spring to life across Fodlan, heralding the start of a new year. As they celebrate the dawning year, the people pray that they may realize their full potential, just as a tiny sprout hopes to one day grow into a great tree. _

~~~~~

The Knights of Seiros lead the group through the forest. Jeralt and Alois chatted up in the front while Byleth hung back with Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude. They had already been traveling for most of the day at this point. Had Jeralt and Byleth gone to their job in the Kingdom, they'd probably have reached it by this point. Byleth wondered how much farther it was to Garreg Mach.

"So Byleth," Claude dragged Byleth's mind back to reality, "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"What's with this "Ashen Demon" nickname you've got? I've heard a couple of mercenaries call you that." Claude asked. Edelgard was a little baffled at the question but Dimitri’s eyes lit up.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you about that too.” Dimitri nodded. “I had never heard of such a terrifying name before. How did you earn such a title?”

"Oh, that old thing." Byleth shook his head. "People started calling me that after I killed a demonic beast a couple years back." All three of their jaws dropped when Byleth said that.

"Hold on. You killed one of those monsters all on your  _ own _ ?" Dimitri asked.

"I heard those beasts are strong enough to take out a whole battalion of soldiers in one strike." Edelgard added. "I had no idea those things could be taken down by a single person."

"There's  _ no  _ way an ordinary person could take down one of those things on their own." Claude whispered. "Gotta say Byleth, you're sure one impressive guy.”

"I'm afraid the truth is less impressive than it seems." Byleth confessed. "The beast was already injured when I found it. I simply finished it off. Put it out of its misery."

"That is still quite the feat." Edelgard smiled. "Their scales are not easily penetrated. It would have taken a lot of strength or a well aimed blow to deal with such a fiend."

"Indeed." Dimitri said. "I would love to hear just exactly how your battle with the beast went down."

"I suppose if we have time I could tell you guys. How close are we to Garreg Mach anyways?" Byleth shaded his eyes as he looked up through the trees and at the sun. Byleth usually had a pretty good idea where he was, but he had never been anywhere near this part of Fodlan.

"That's right. This will be your first time at the monastery. I'd be happy to show you around if you'd like." Dimitri offered with a smile.

"It really is Fodlan in a nutshell." Claude added as he glanced between the two royals. "The good  _ and _ the bad."

"Like it or not, we'll be there soon enough. Edelgard said, pointing directly ahead of them. The trees parted to reveal a grand collection of buildings on top of a hill. Byleth was astounded by the beauty of it, even at this distance. "There it is. Garreg Mach Monastery."

Byleth was silent as they approached. No matter where he looked, there was always something new and astonishing to look at. Byleth and Jeralt started lagging behind the rest of the group when they entered. A dog came up to Byleth and Jeralt and started sniffing them. Byleth knelt down to pet the dog.

"Rhea's here." Jeralt mumbled. Byleth glanced back at his father, who was looking above them. Byleth followed his gaze up to a balcony high overhead. A woman with green hair and elaborate robes watched them from high above. Byleth stood up and took a step closer to Jeralt. "Stay on guard." Jeralt whispered to Byleth. Byleth nodded in understanding. Jeralt then led them further into Garreg Mach. Byleth could feel the woman's gaze like a spider crawling across his skin as he walked away. He was relieved when the door swung closed behind them.

Byleth was surprised when Jeralt led them up to a room on the second floor without getting lost. It hit Byleth that his father had actually been here before, and he had probably lived here for a very long time. How long  _ had  _ Jeralt been a knight? Why did he quit? Where did Byleth and the other mercenaries fit into all of this? Byleth's list of questions only grew as his mind wandered. Jeralt sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"You alright father?" Byleth whispered, glancing at one of the knights that stood guard.

"I'm fine." Jeralt reassured. He looked around with a solemn look on his face. "It's been years since I've last set eyes on this place. To be forced to see her now..."

"So you  _ have _ been here before?"

Jeralt was quiet for a second. "I've never spoken of this to you before, but..." Jeralt closed his eyes and breathed heavily, "many years ago, I was a knight here. I reported to the archbishop... Lady Rhea."

"Lady Rhea." Byleth echoed softly. He had never imagined his father having to report to anyone, let alone a member--the  _ leader _ \--of the Church of Seiros.

Jeralt opened his eyes again and noticed Byleth's confused expression. "As you know, the majority of folks in Fodlan are devout followers of the teachings of Seiros. The leader of that ridiculously large organization is the archbishop, Lady Rhea."

"I see. Does everyone..." Byleth trailed off when he saw the woman from before and a man come in from a side room. They walked to the front of Jeralt and Byleth silently. The man bowed while the woman remained poised.

"Thank you for your patience, Jeralt. My name is Seteth. I am an advisor to the archbishop." The man introduced himself.

"Right. Hello." Jeralt said curtly. Byleth bowed his head at Seteth, noting his stern gaze.

"It has been a long time, Jeralt." The woman, Byleth assumed to be Lady Rhea, smiled. "I wonder... Was it the will of the goddess that we have another chance meeting like this?"

"Forgive my silence all these years. Much has happened since we last spoke." Jeralt said. He seemed a bit more comfortable talking to Rhea, but Byleth could still tell that Jeralt was holding back. Byleth rested a hand on his weapon, trying to calm his nerves and the flurry of questions going through his head.

"So I see. The miracle of fatherhood has blessed you." Rhea turned to look at Byleth. Byleth removed his hand from his weapon so as not to alarm them, but not before Seteth noticed. "That is your son, is it not?"

"Yes," Jeralt replied without delay, "born many years after I left this place. I wish I could introduce you to the mother of my son, but I'm afraid we lost her to illness." Byleth looked at Jeralt before letting his gaze fall to the floor. That comment didn't line up with what Jeralt had told Byleth in the past, but he dare not call out his father now. It was now obvious to Byleth that Rhea couldn't be trusted, or that Jeralt didn't trust her at least.

"I see. My condolences." Rhea dipped her head respectfully. "As for you," Rhea turned her attention back to Byleth, "I heard of your valiant efforts from Alois. What is your name?"

"My name is Byleth." Byleth stated with a monotone voice. He felt as though he had seen Rhea's face before. Not just from earlier on the balcony but from some time earlier. But that couldn't be possible. Byleth had never had any contact with the church and had avoided as many people as he could in general. Where would he have seen her before?

Rhea smiled again. "A fine name indeed. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for saving those students of the Officers Academy. Alois spoke much of your abilities, even going as far as to recommend you. I hope you’ll lend us your strength once again some day."

"Hmph." Jeralt turned away slightly from Rhea. He looked apprehensive for what was about to happen.

"Jeralt. You already know what it is I wish to say, do you not?" Rhea inquired.

"You want me to rejoin the Knights of Seiros, don't you." Jeralt replied. Byleth tried to keep the look of shock off of his face as he glanced between Rhea and Jeralt. Jeralt was quiet for a moment before he responded. "I won't say no, but..."

Rhea frowned. "Your apprehension stings. I had expected that Alois would have already asked this of you." Rhea glanced at Seteth, who nodded without a word. Rhea softly sighed. "I must step away for now. We will prepare rooms for you to stay in while you stay here. We will continue this conversation in the morning. Until tomorrow... Farewell." Rhea bowed before leaving the room. Seteth followed close behind her, shooting a glance at Byleth as he passed. Byleth swallowed hard but managed to appear calm while Seteth passed.

Jeralt sighed again, and rubbed his forehead. Byleth elbowed him a bit in the side to catch his attention. "Hey, want to go grab something to eat? I'm starving."

"Sounds good, kid." Jeralt smiled.

"Great. I  _ think  _ I saw someplace on the way into town." Byleth said, pulling Jeralt by the arm. Byleth hadn't actually seen any place on the way in, but he needed some place away from the monastery for them to talk. He didn’t want any of the Knights to hear them. Jeralt followed Byleth out to the town without any resistance. Byleth glanced over his shoulder to make sure none of the knights followed them. Luckily it seemed they were alone. They mindlessly wandered through town, getting lost at a few points. Eventually, Jeralt and Byleth managed to find a place to get dinner. "Sorry about getting us lost." Byleth mumbled, poking at the food on his plate.

"Don't worry about it. This place is built like a maze." Jeralt shrugged. “That sort of stuff happens when a place is as old as this.”

They ate the food they had ordered in silence at first. Byleth's mind spun more and more as he tried to figure out how to start the conversation. Should Byleth tell Jeralt about Sothis and the whole time travel thing that happened during the fight? Or should he completely ignore that and just focus on what happened in Garreg Mach? "So, uh, father..."

"Yeah kid?" Jeralt asked between bites. Byleth hesitated as his mind stalled out. Byleth was pulled out of his thoughts by Jeralt's worried voice. "Hey kid, is something wrong? You've looked like you wanted to say something since the meeting."

Byleth put his silverware down, put his elbows on the table, and rested his head on his hands. "Father... How much can we trust Lady Rhea? How much should  _ I _ trust her?" Jeralt tensed up. Bylethy closed his eyes as he continued. "I noticed that you lied to her about my mother. You told her that mother died of illness and not childbirth, like you told  _ me _ . You also told her I was younger than I actually was. And not only that..." Byleth's expression darkened as he lowered his head. "I felt like… like I've  _ seen _ her somewhere before. Even though there should be no way for me to know Rhea... I just can't shake that feeling. And the way she looked at me… there was something off about it."

Jeralt was silent. Byleth looked up at his father with pleading eyes. "I'm not sure." Jeralt replied in a low voice. “I’m not sure how much we can trust her. Or if we even  _ should  _ trust her.”

"What do you mean?"

"Rhea... Rhea was the one who was there when your mother gave birth to you." Jeralt leaned forward. Byleth couldn't read Jeralt's expression, but he knew it wasn't good. "Rhea claims that you both were on the edge of death, and that Sitri asked her to save you over her... Something about that never added up for me. There was something off about Rhea when she gave you to me. I decided to have you checked out by a doctor in secret to make sure you were alright."

"That's when you found out I had no heartbeat, right?"

"Yeah. Once I found out that, I knew I couldn't let Rhea anywhere near you. I lit a fire in the monastery and told her that you had died in the fire." Jeralt confessed. "At that point I couldn't go back anymore. I took you and left before Rhea could find the truth." Byleth sat back in his seat. Rhea  _ had _ watched Byleth's every move when he had come into Garreg Mach. Did she know? Was he in danger? No, that couldn't be right. ...Right?

"Captain Jeralt! Great to see you again!" Jeralt and Byleth jumped in their seats as Alois and a woman came over to them.

"Alois? What are you doing here?" Jeralt asked, struggling to remain composed after what he had told Byleth.

"We were wondering where you went after talking to Lady Rhea. You kind of left in a hurry." The woman said. "Mind if we join you?"

Byleth and Jeralt glanced at each other. Byleth shrugged and went back to shoving food into his mouth. Jeralt shook his head and turned back to the others. "Sure. Grab those chairs over there."

The two sat down and chatted a bit with Jeralt until a waiter came over. The waiter took their orders and smiled. "Is there any else I can get you?"

"Yeah. Another beer for me and can we get another plate for him?" Jeralt pointed at Byleth, who was still shoveling food into his face.

"Of course. I'll bring your orders to you in a moment." The waiter bowed before leaving.

"Thanks father." Byleth said with a full mouth.

"So who is this?" Jeralt asked Alois, pointing to the woman.

"This is Catherine, wielder of the legendary Thunderbrand!" Alois beamed in his loud voice. "She joined the Knights after you left, Captain."

"It's nice to finally meet you Jeralt. Alois told me quite a bit about you." Catherine shook Jeralt's hand.

"I'm certain he did. Hopefully he didn't say anything bad." Jeralt shook his head.

"He had nothing but good things to say about you. I’m guessing this is your son?" Catherine pointed at Byleth, who was mid bite.

"Yes it is." Jeralt nodded. "Why don't you introduce yourself kid?"

Byleth looked up from his plate and glanced at the others. "Oh, um, I'm Byleth. It's nice to meet you Catherine. Good to see you again too Alois."

"It's nice to meet you too, Byleth." Catherine smiled. "Why'd you guys come out here anyways? The dining hall was right about to serve dinner."

"I want to see the town a bit." Byleth lied, glancing at Jeralt. "Kinda got us lost while looking around though."

"Don't worry, you'll figure it out before long." Alois put a hand on Byleth's shoulder. “I could show you around too if you want me to.”

"I’d appreciate that. I might have to take you up on that offer soon." Byleth smiled.

"So what were you two talking about before we got here? I thought I heard you mention something about Lady Rhea." Catherine asked, leaning her chair back.

Jeralt froze in the middle taking a drink. Byleth started talking before he could think. "I... was just asking about the people Father worked with when he was a knight. We hadn’t really talked about it before."

"Yeah." Jeralt nodded. "I was just talking about some old memories I had of the monastery."

"Ah, yes. The good old days." Alois nodded. "I sometimes wish we could go back to those times."

"You and me both. Things were so much simpler back then." Jeralt sighed and shook his head. "A lot of things have changed since I left. Where did some of the others go?"

"A lot of the older knights have retired since you left. Their age finally caught up to them." Alois frowned. “Can’t keep swinging your blade forever, you know. It won’t be long until our current captain has to retire too.”

Alois and Jeralt kept chatting about the olden days, so Byleth turned back to his plate and finished it off. "You're a big eater." Catherine commented as Byleth pushed his empty plate away.

"More food means more energy. More energy means more work gets done." Byleth explains as the waiter came with their food. Byleth took his second plate and smiled at the waiter. "Thank you." He then started shoveling the food into his mouth again.

"Even so, don't you think you're going a little overboard there?" Catherine asked as she started on her own plate. Byleth stopped eating only long enough to shrug at her.

"So Jeralt, where have you been these past years?" Alois asked loudly, catching Catherine’s and Byleth's attention.

"Mainly just doing mercenary work across Fodlan and raising that one." Jeralt pointed to Byleth. "I'm afraid there isn't anything interesting to talk about."

"I'm sure you can think of something." Alois said. "Did literally no mission stand out to you in these past 20 years?"

"Surely you have some story to tell." Catherine joined in. "You have to tell us something."

Jeralt was quiet for a second. "Well, there was the whole Ashen Demon thing that happened a few years back."

Byleth choked on his food. He grabbed his cup and downed the whole thing to clear his throat. "You... You said we weren't gonna talk ‘bout that." Byleth sputtered.

"What? Embarrassed of what you did?" Jeralt chuckled.

"Well, no, not embarrassed, but..." Byleth shook his head. "It's really not that impressive. And everyone keeps blowing it up out of proportion!"

"I'd argue it was impressive that you took on a Demonic Beast all by yourself."

"Wait, what?" Catherine's jaw dropped.

"My son here took on a Demonic Beast on his own." Jeralt smiled. Byleth buried his face into his hands as Jeralt went on. "We were staying in a hunting village in Alliance territory. I had taken some of my men out to deal with some poachers, so Byleth was off on his own. While he was out, he found a Demonic Beast headed for the town. He managed to kill the thing all on his own before it got to the village. Isn't that right kid?"

"It was injured when I found it." Byleth groaned through his hands. "It could barely even put up a fight."

"You say that, but the villager who saw you says otherwise. Not to mention those injuries you had." Jeralt pointed out.

Byleth peaked through his fingers to see Jeralt proudly smiling at him. "Whatever you say. I still don't think it's  _ that  _ impressive..."

"Nonsense!" Alois blurted out, throwing an arm around Byleth. "You should be proud of such a feat! Why, I wish I had a tale like that to boast about!"

"They're right you know. Even if it was already injured, you killed one of those beasts. Not many others can say that. Especially at your age." Catherine chipped in, taking a sip from the beer she had ordered.

"I guess it was a good idea I recommended you as a professor to Rhea after all." Alois said as he grabbed his own cup. 

Byleth pulled his hands away from his blushing face and turned to Alois. "Wait,  _ what _ ?"

"What did you do, Alois?" Jeralt growled.

"I suppose you two wouldn't have heard," Catherine remarked, "but the Academy is one professor short right now due to what happened last night. The professor they were going to hire apparently abandoned the students mid fight, so he’s out of a job."

"After I saw how you dealt with those bandits, I thought Byleth might be a good option. I recommended you to Lady Rhea as soon as we got back." Alois explained. Jeralt and Byleth glance at each other nervously, but Alois didn't seem to notice. "They were thinking about making the combat professor into a normal professor but..."

"I have no doubt he'd scare off the students." Catherine groaned. "Jeritza is a great fighter. Definitely knows how to wield his weapon. He’s just...  _ not _ a sociable guy."

"That's an  _ understatement _ ." Alois shook his head. "I don't think I've ever heard him have a normal conversation before. Byleth on the other hand was already getting along great with the three house leaders."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I've never really  _ taught  _ anyone before." Byleth frowned. He held the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. "And I'm certain that Seteth will disapprove of having me as a teacher."

"I think he disapproves of everyone who could take the position right now." Catherine said. "But that doesn't mean they can just leave the position open. Those kids need someone."

"I suppose." Byleth bit his lip. He realized that there wasn't really a way for him to turn this down without causing a scene. Not to mention that Jeralt was probably going to be staying at Garreg Mach from now on, so there really wasn't a way to leave that easily. Still, Byleth couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen. Something big. Byleth stifled a sigh. "I guess it's not my decision though. I'll just do what's asked of me for now."

"That's a good attitude to take with this situation." Catherine nodded. "Since you  _ just _ got here, you may not get the position, but it doesn't hurt to try for those opportunities."

"Exactly, Catherine." Alois nodded.

Jeralt looked out the window and frowned. "Hey kid, finish up your food. We still need to get the others organized and settled in before sundown."

"Right." Byleth shoved more food into his face. Byleth knew Jeralt was only saying that to get Byleth out of the situation, but he was thankful to get out of here.

Jeralt put some money on the table as he got up. "It was nice talking to you two, but we have to get going for now."

"Of course. It was nice meeting you two." Catherine waved.

"We'll see you guys up at Garreg Mach." Alois smiled. "It's only a matter of time until we run into each other again."

"Yeah." Byleth agreed as he finished off his plate. "See you guys around." Jeralt and Byleth made their way out. They ducked into an alleyway and made sure they weren't being followed. Byleth leaned against the wall and held his head. "What was Alois thinking? Me? A _ professor _ ? I'm nowhere near qualified for that sort of a job. There’s no way I can lead them!"

"Don't say that kid. Being a professor at the academy isn't that different to helping the new mercenaries we hire." Jeralt put a hand on Byleth’s shoulder. "Plus, it's not the  _ kids _ you should be worried about."

" _ Rhea? _ "

"Yeah."

They fell quiet again. A pit opened up in the bottom of Byleth's stomach. There wasn’t anything Byleth could do to fix his situation, and he hated that. Normally he could draw a sword or stand his ground. He was his own boss. The only person who had more authority than him was Jeralt. This place was entirely different. He couldn’t act like he normally did with the other mercenaries. There were rules and regulations and different levels of authority that Byleth had never thought about. He balled his fists as he got up from the wall. “Are you really going to join the Knights?” Byleth asked in a hushed voice.

“I don’t think Rhea will give me a choice if I say no.” Jeralt shook his head. “For now, we should try to stay on her good side. We don’t want to cause any problems.” Byleth nodded. Jeralt looked back to the street, watching some people pass. “Come on. We better get back.” Byleth nodded and followed Jeralt up the road back towards the monastery. 


	3. Three Houses (part 2)

In the morning, Byleth was summoned to the audience chamber again. With his father nowhere to be found, Byleth begrudgingly went up. He pushed the large chamber doors open only to find Jeralt standing there along. Surprised, Byleth scanned the room awkwardly. Neither Rhea or Seteth were anywhere to be seen. Byleth sighed in relief as he swung the doors closed behind him. "Good morning father!" Byleth jogged over. 

Jeralt smiled warmly as Byleth joined him. "Hey kid. Did you sleep well?"

Byleth shrugged. "Not really. I'm still nervous about this whole thing. Did you end up rejoining the Knights?"

Jeralt sighed as he rubbed his forehead. He looked as exhausted as Byleth felt, but Byleth didn't mention that. "Yeah. Forced back into the Knights of Seiros. I'm sorry I dragged you into this. Looks like I'll be stuck here for a while… and I'm afraid your services are requested as well.”

"Don't tell me…"

Jeralt solemnly nodded. "Rhea has decided to make you and Jeritza teaching partners. Looks like you'll be teaching a class together for the year."

Byleth raised an eyebrow. "Why...  _ both _ of us?"

"Seteth didn't like the idea of having you teach the brats since you're new here. Rhea on the other hand doesn't like how Jeritza acts around them either. They figured it was best for the two of you to work together for the time being."

Byleth frowned. It sounded like a logical argument, but something bothered him about it. Byleth opened his mouth to respond, but the chamber doors opened again before he could say anything. An older looking man and woman walked in, both carrying stacks of paper.

“So. You must be the new professor.” The woman smiled, eyeing Jeralt. “My, how stern and handsome you are!”

“Er, no. I’m not the one you’re looking for." Jeralt awkwardly explained, to the surprise of the pair. "You can handle things from here kid. Good luck.” Jeralt turned to leave but leaned towards Byleth to whisper one last thing. “And… watch out for Lady Rhea. I don’t know what she’s thinking, making you a professor like this. She may be up to something. Stay on your guard.” Byleth nodded. Jeralt smiled at Byleth and patted him on the back before he left.

The woman’s eyes widened. “Oh. It's you, then?” She briefly looked Byleth over, unsure of how to react. “So young…”

“Competence and age are not necessarily correlated, as you well know.” The man intervened. “I am Hanneman, a Crest scholar and professor at the Officers Academy. If you don’t mind me asking, do you by chance know if you have a crest or not?”

“I don’t think I have one, but I’ve never been tested. No point since I was a commoner.” Byleth shrugged. Byleth had always been a little curious about crests, but he had never gotten the opportunity to see one up close.

“I see.” Hanneman stroked his beard. “I wonder if you bear a Crest of your own. When next you have a moment to spare, I insist that you pay me a visit so we can delve into the subject further.”

“I'm Manuela. I'm a professor, a physician, a songstress, and available.” Manuela winked at Byleth. “It's nice to meet you.”

“I-it’s nice to meet you too.” Byleth bowed, trying to hide his blushing face. He had never been good with how to react when people compliment him, let alone  _ flirt _ with him. Byleth cleared his throat as he rubbed the back of his neck. “My name is Byleth. I, uh, I look forward to working with you guys. You said you’re a songstress, right? I’ve always wanted to go see one of those operas.”

Manuela’s eyes lit up. “That’s wonderful to hear, Byleth. Before I came here, I belonged to a renowned opera company. Perhaps you’ve heard of me? The Mittelfrank Opera Company’s beautiful, peerless-”

"Spare our colleague the needless chatter, Manuela.” Hanneman waved his hand. She glared at him out of her corner of her eye, but didn’t continue.

"Uh, I heard I’m going to be working with someone named Jeritza.” Byleth said, hoping to defuse the rising tension. “Is he here anywhere?”

"He must have gone straight to the training grounds after the meeting earlier.” Manuela frowned. “He  _ always _ does that. He cares more about training than anything else.”

"Jeritza likes to keep his distance from everyone, unfortunately. It seems you may have quite a difficult time with him.” Hanneman shook his head. 

Byleth bit his lip. He had worked with some difficult people during his time as a mercenary, so it wasn’t like Byleth had no experience with this. Even so, he wasn’t looking forward to it already. “I’m... sure the two of us can figure something out. I’ll go see him later.”

Hanneman nodded. “Now then, you and Jeritza will be taking charge of one of the academy’s three houses. I expect you haven’t yet been briefed on the nature of each, have you?”

"Not yet, no.” Byleth said.

"You haven't?" Manuela gasped. "Fine, I'll do you a favor and explain." Manuela and Hanneman took turns explaining each of the three houses. Byleth asked a couple questions about the students and what training they had so far. Manuela and Hanneman answered Byleth's questions as best they could, but Byleth could tell the two of them didn't know. "You might be able to get more information by talking to the students themselves." Manuela admitted eventually. "Why don't you go chat with some of them? Some odd ducks in that bunch, but they’re good kids. Oh, and keep in mind that I've only notified the house leaders that you're our new professor. It's more fun that way."

Hanneman handed Byleth a stack of papers. "Here's the class roster this year. I suggest taking a stroll around the academy to get your bearings. And when you've a moment, please stop by my research laboratory."

Byleth bowed to the professors. "Thank you so much for the help.  I best be going." Manuela and Hanneman said their farewells as all three of them left the audience chamber. As Byleth went down the hall he flipped through the stack of papers. He only recognized Dimitri and Edelgard among the first two houses. Byleth realized that he was barely older than most of the students, and was actually younger than one from the Blue Lion's house. He again questioned why Rhea would make him a professor.

Byleth shook his head. The decision had already been made. All he could do now was make the best of it. After wandering around lost for a few minutes, one of the knights finally pointed Byleth towards the training grounds. There were only a few people when Byleth got there. One of them in particular was intensely focused on his training. Byleth assumed that was Jeritza.

"Excuse me, sir." Byleth apologized as he approached. "Would you happen to be Jeritza?"

The masked man turned around and glared at Byleth. Byleth's blood ran cold and he instinctively reached for his weapon. "I am." The man said, looking Byleth over. "Who are you? Have you come to spar with me?"

Byleth cleared his throat and rolled back his shoulders, trying to appear calm. "Uh, no. At least not at the moment." Byleth tore his hand away from his sword and held it out towards Jeritza. "My name is Byleth Eisner. Apparently we're going to be teaching a class together."

"So I've heard." Jeritza said, ignoring Byleth's awkward attempt of a handshake.

Byleth hesitantly dropped his arm. "I, uh, I see. Well, I was wondering if you had any preference in what class we get to teach. I don't know any of them that well, so I wanted to see what your thoughts were."

"I care not what class we get." Jeritza shook his head. "You can pick for us."

"You… really have no preference?" Byleth furrowed his eyebrows.

"I do not. Whatever you pick will be fine by me." Jeritza said. "If you are done here, I would like to get back to my training."

"Right. Guess I'll see you at the next meeting then." Byleth said as he stepped away. He could tell that he wasn't going to get through to Jeritza like this. Jeritza nodded and went back to his training. Byleth watched Jeritza for a minute. It was obvious that he was well versed in combat, especially with that lance he wielded. Byleth wondered where he had learned to fight like that. He contemplated asking him, but decided it was best just to leave Jeritza for the moment.

As Byleth left the training grounds, his stomach growled. He remembered Catherine and Alois mentioning a dining hall at Garreg Mach and decided to go check that out before he did anything else. It wasn't too hard for Byleth to find the place. The other mercenaries always joked that Byleth had a second sense for finding food. He grabbed a plate from the kitchen and sat down away from the others in the dining hall. Byleth greedily dug into his food. Halfway through his plate, he glanced over at the stack of papers he had. Byleth sighed heavily as he started sorting through them. 

As he sorted through the houses he came across a familiar face in the Golden Deer. Leonie Pinelli. It had been years since Jeralt and Byleth had seen her last. During their time in Leonie’s village, Byleth and Leonie had started a friendly rivalry, swearing to outdo each other as famous mercenaries some day. To think that all these years later Byleth would end up having the chance to be her teacher. The irony of the situation made Byleth chuckle to himself. A few students glanced over at Byleth awkwardly, but Byleth didn't pay them any attention.

"Hang on a second." One of the students said as they got out of their chair. "Bylet? Is that you?"

Byleth looked up. Lo and behold, it was Leonie who had said that. "Leonie! Speak of the devil. I was just thinking about you."

"Oh really? Is  _ that _ why you were laughing?" Leonie frowned as she came over. "My skills aren't that bad you know. I can prove it too!"

"I wasn't laughing because your skills are bad, I just found it funny our rivalry would continue at school of all places." Byleth tried to keep the smile off of his face as he rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't want to tell her that he was a teacher yet, nor did he want to be. He still just wanted to be her equal.

"No way! You're going to be attending the Officer's Academy too?" 

"Yeah. Guess I'm the last person to join for now."

"How'd you get in? I doubt they'd just let you in on the name Ashen Demon alone." Leonie teased.

Byleth rolled his eyes as she brought up his title. "I'm joining at Lady Rhea's request. _Not_ because of that old name."

Leonie's eyes went wide when Byleth said that. "Wait,  _ Lady Rhea _ wanted you to join? Why would she do that?" 

"Well, father joined the Knights again so instead of sending me off somewhere she offered me a place at the academy." Byleth half explained to her.

"So Captain Jeralt is here!" Leonie beamed. "Aw yeah. I can't wait to show him how much I've grown. I bet I've done more than you have."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Byleth smirked.

"Oh yeah? Prove it at the training ground."

"Hold on Leonie. How do you know Byleth?" Claude interrupted them.

"Oh, hey Claude." Leonie waved to Claude as he came over. "Byleth here and I are old rivals. His dad is Captain Jeralt, my old mentor."

"It's strange to think how many years has passed since then." Byleth shook his head. "And how I haven't rid myself of that  _ stupid nickname _ ."

Leonie laughed. "Run all you want, that thing's going to haunt you forever  _ Ashen Demon _ ."

"Stop." Byleth poked her in the side with his elbow.

"I can tell this is going to be an interesting year with you two around." Claude laughed.

"Sure is." Leonie nodded. "Which reminds me, what house are you in Byleth?"

"Don't know yet." Byleth shrugged. "Since I'm such a special case, I could really end up anywhere."

"I wonder if they're going to let you pick since you don't come from anywhere in particular." Claude commented.

"Maybe? I dunno." Byleth shrugged.

"I hope you end up with us in Golden Deer. It'd be lonely without you there." Leonie admitted.

"I'll see what I can do." Byleth nodded. He wasn't quite sure if he wanted to be Leonie's teacher, but he was more interested in the Golden Deer than the other houses so far. 

A bell rang through Garreg Mach signaling the time. "Looks like it's time for us to go to class." Claude said. "I think we're at the training grounds today with the combat professor."

"You going to come with us Byleth?" Leonie asked. "It'd be nice to train with you again."

"Nah. I have to go do some paperwork." Byleth sighed, gesturing at the papers strewn across the table. "I'll see you two around though."

"Okay. Good luck with the paperwork Byleth." Leonie waved as she left.

"So you're not teaching with Jeritza today?" Claude asked once Leonie was out of earshot.

"Not that I've heard." Byleth gathered up his papers. "You here to try and convince me to teach your class?"

"That was the plan," Claude winked, "but it sounds like Leonie already has you convinced." 

"I still have to convince Jeritza before I can ask the other professors before I can ask Seteth." Byleth rubbed his forehead. "So I'll try, but no promises."

"All I could ask is that you try." Claude smiled. "Anyways, I better catch up with the others. See ya around teach!"

Byleth was a little taken aback by being called "teach". He  _ was _ technically a professor, but Byleth felt nowhere near ready to be called one. He watched as the student filed out of the dining hall. Byleth was uneasy how similar he was to the kids he saw. True, it looked like most of them had never been on the battlefield or taken a life before, but that may be the only difference. Byleth hadn't gotten any sort of formal schooling. How the hell did Rhea expect him to teach these brats?

Byleth shook his head. "Calm down. Don't get caught up in the anxiety. Fear just leads to mistakes." Byleth took a few deep breaths to steady himself. He grabbed his sword and focused on that instead of his fears. He had to keep calm. All eyes were on him right now. Both as the newest professor and as Jeralt's son. He  _ had _ to be in control. 


	4. Three Houses (part 3)

As the sun began to set, Byleth retired to his room. He had spent the rest of the day chatting with the students and learning the layout of Garreg Mach. He had wanted to go train, but much to his frustration Byleth was repeatedly dragged away before he could actually train. He tossed the stack of papers onto his desk and flopped face first onto his bed. 

“So, you’re finally going to pick your class tomorrow.”

Byleth leapt out of his bed and drew his sword. He pointed his blade at the person who had suddenly appeared in his room, only to realize it was just Sothis. “Uh, hi…”

“Must you always jump when I speak to you?” Sothis frowned.

“Must you always appear out of thin air?” Byleth shot back as he sheathed his sword. “What are you doing here anyways?”

“I came to check on you. Our other friend was wondering how you were doing.” Sothis sat down on his desk without disturbing the papers. “It seems you’re getting along with the students so far. Are you interested in teaching any of them?”

“Uh, Golden Deer is probably my top choice right now, but none of them are really bad.” Byleth admitted as he sat on his bed again.

“I see.” Sothis picked up one of the papers and read it over. “Hubert von Vestra… born in the Empire in… wait. 17th of the Great Tree Moon in the year 1160?! He’s barely younger than you are.”

“Most of them are.” Byleth admitted as he laid back on his bed. The thought of leading these kids made him feel sick. He wanted to run away from it all, but he knew better than to run from the Church.

“Unbelievable.” Sothis muttered as she continued reading. She mumbled under her breath, but Byleth didn’t bother listening to her. “What's this? He  _ dislikes _ the Church of Serios? Didn’t someone from the Church have to compile this?”

“They probably had to learn the hard way that he doesn’t like the Church.” Byleth half smirked. “Edelgard says his blood runs cold, and she’s a pretty cold person already.”

“I wouldn’t call her cold as much as she is... distant from everyone. Even those closest to her.” Sothis put Hubert’s page back on the desk.

“Fair enough.” Byleth rolled over. Sothis continued to flip through the pages, carefully looking over each of the students. Byleth watched her methodically go through them all, sorting them on the desk space next to her. 

Sothis eventually broke the silence again. “Are you nervous about teaching them?”

“Of course I am.” Byleth grunted. “I’m in  _ no _ position to teach them. I've never really taught anyone before. I've helped out with training some new recruits, but actual  _ teaching _ ? I know next to nothing. Not to mention I haven't actually gone through any normal schooling either. Most of the stuff I've learned came from what the other mercs said."

"And… they picked  _ you _ to lead a class?" Sothis raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah."

Sothis sighed and rubbed her forehead. "This is a horrible situation they've created. Why hire a random mercenary off the streets to teach nobles? What is she thinking?"

Sothis continued to ramble, but Byleth stopped listening to her. He stared blankly at the ceiling as he let his mind wander. Why  _ had  _ Rhea insisted that they hire him? Even with all of Byleth's past achievements and Jeralt’s support, it wouldn't be a good enough reason to pick him over basically anyone else. There were too many reasons against him. Not to mention Seteth had also been fighting against Byleth being hired. There was no way that this was a mistake. It couldn't be. Not with everything else that was going on. Rhea was purposely pulling Byleth in, but why? "Hey Sothis?"

Sothis stopped ranting to turn back to Byleth. "What is it?"

“What do you know about Rhea? Do you... know any reason she’d want to possibly keep me here?”

Sothis’s eyes widened in surprise. “A reason to keep you here? Yes. I can think of one such reason, and it has to do with our little friend.” Sothis got off the desk and floated next to Byleth’s bed. She crossed her arms and rested them on her knees. “That’s actually the original reason I came to talk to you. I wanted to talk to you about everything that’s going on.”

“Well  _ that’s _ specific.”

“I mean about us and our current situation. It involves Rhea, so I’m not surprised she’s reaching out to you like this.” Byleth lifted his head to look at Sothis when she said that. “Seems I finally have your attention.”

“So Rhea’s involved?” Byleth sat up in bed. 

“Yes.” Sothis nodded solemnly. “As far as I can tell, she’s been involved since the beginning, long before any of us knew each other. It's quite possible that she was even behind the creation of the both you."

"Behind our creation? Are you trying to imply that she's my twin?" Byleth shook his head. "That can't be right. My father said that my mother died in childbirth."

"I'm not saying she's your mother. Don't go jumping to conclusions!" Sothis frowned. "It's just possible that she might have done something to you as a child. Rhea could possibly be the reason that you two can see me while no one else can."

Byleth put a hand over his heart as he remembered his lack of a heartbeat. Jeralt had suspected that Rhea was the reason for that too. "My father said that Rhea was acting strange around the time I was born. He got me checked out, and apparently the doctor said that I don't have a heartbeat."

"Neither does our friend." Sothis explained. "I find it suspicious enough that neither of you have a heartbeat, you were born the same day at the same place, and you have so much mystery surrounding your lives. I can't discredit the fact that you two may be twins."

"But Rhea never told my father."  


"Haven't we already established that Rhea is hiding things from us?"

Byleth went silent as he thought for a moment. " So you think Rhea's the reason we're all connected? Do we have any idea how she did it?"

"I'm afraid not." Sothis sighed, leaning back in the air. Byleth looked away so he wouldn't risk looking up her skirt as it floated around. "I have been with our friend since she was a young child. We had only discovered our connection to you late last year."

"How'd you find out about it anyways?" 

"This may sound strange, but she used to have dreams of fighting and traveling all across Fodlan. We realized eventually that they weren't just dreams, but memories."

" _ My _ memories." Byleth gasped. Every single embarrassing memory raced through Byleth's mind, wondering just how much those two had seen.

"Exactly." Sothis smiled. "Once we realized we were connected to you in the outside world, we tried reaching out to you for help. Do you recall that place we met? The place with a stone throne?"

Byleth hesitantly nodded. "I've seen that place in my dreams my whole life. It's always haunted me. You two were usually asleep there in my dreams, but I couldn't wake you guys up. I tried everything, yet you guys always slept through it all."

Sothis's law dropped as Byleth rambled. "Wait, you had dreams where you saw us?" Byleth hesitantly nodded, unsure of what to say. "That's the same way it was for her… Perhaps this connection is more deeply rooted than I anticipated... How odd. I had not considered the possibility."

"Sothis, could you  _ please _ start giving me some answers? I'm tired of all these questions and mysteries piling up with no answers." Byleth ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

“Keep your voice down! Someone might hear you!” Sothis hissed. Byleth glared at Sothis, but didn’t say anything else. “As I was  _ trying _ to say earlier, that place that we met in is called the Holy Tomb. It is a place somewhere here in Garreg Mach. Our friend and I have been kept down there for many years now by Rhea.”

"Wait, Rhea is keeping you two inside of a tomb?" 

Sothis shook her head. "Not exactly. Rhea kept the girl down there due to her connection to me. I don't know what Rhea was thinking, but she hid the girl down there when she was just an infant. While she was down there, the two of us became connected and I was unable to leave her side. Once Rhea noticed that we were connected, Rhea refused to let our friend leave the Tomb anymore."

"So you've been stuck there ever since. But why would They even keep you down there? What purpose does that have?” Byleth asked.

"Apparently she is to act as a vessel for the Goddess of Fodlan. Due to this role of hers, she gets terribly sick anytime she leaves the confines of the Tomb. That is why Rhea has forbidden her from ever leaving. But a tomb is no place for a child to grow up. She has been longing to be freed from her prison for ages now. And that's where you come in."

"Wait a minute. You want me to oppose the church of Serios?" Byleth's jaw dropped. "No. No way. Why don't you guys just break out? You can control time and all that."

Sothis shook her head. "Just because I can turn back time by a few minutes doesn't mean we'll be able to escape. We've tried multiple times, but the Tomb is practically impossible to get out of if someone doesn't open the door from the outside first. We were honestly beginning to lose hope, but then we found out about you."

"Wait. No. You want  _ me _ to break you out of a tomb that the Archbishop locked you in?" Byleth pointed at himself. He nervously laughed and shook his head. "You have to be joking."

"I'm not." Sothis leaned forward with pleading eyes. Byleth stopped laughing and fell dead silent. "You are our only connection to the outside world other than Rhea. No one else knows of our existence. That is why we reached out to you of all people. And now that Rhea is making a move to keep you here, it is all the more obvious that something is amiss. She must be planning something."

"Of  _ course _ she is." Byleth leaned back to get some space from Sothis. "Rhea wouldn't have hired a random merc off the streets if she wasn't up to something. But the question is,  _ wha _ t is she planning."

A tense silence filled the room. Byleth grabbed his sheets, trying not to let his mind wander too far. He had no idea what Rhea was capable of, so she might be able to do absolutely anything. He had heard rumors that the church would execute anyone who opposed them. That thought sent shivers down Byleth's spine. Would he really be willing to risk his life for a pair of girls he barely knew anything about? Then again, he had almost thrown his life away for Edelgard just the other day.

"I know this is a lot to ask of you." Sothis sighed, pulling Byleth out of his own unpleasant thoughts. "But we don't have anyone else to turn to."

Byleth was silent for a minute. "I'll see what I can do." He eventually relented. "But I can't promise anything. I think I've got everyone's eyes on me at this point."

"I know. All we ask is that you try." Sothis smiled softly. "Thank you for this. I'll try to get in contact with both of you in a few days' time. Until then, good luck with your students."

"Right. See ya Sothis." Sothis bowed before vanishing from Byleth's sight. Byleth rubbed his eyes before looking around for her again. "Okay. So I'm not going crazy, right?" Byleth shook his head and laid back on his bed, hoping this would all make more sense in the morning.


End file.
